How to Optimize Your Facebook Cover Photo for Mobile and Desktop Devices
October 24, 2018 In Blog 2 Comments

 

With information being so easily available at our fingertips, we want to make sure that it’s also accessible. You may have noticed the term mobile friendly being very popular over the past few years. It’s a term that won’t seem to go away anytime soon since a great majority of us use mobile devices when going on social media. When it comes to Facebook cover photos, you can optimize them so that they’re compatible with both mobile and desktop devices. Here’s how.

Use the correct image dimensions for your design

Free tools such as Canva are great for making Facebook cover photos. Even though Canva comes with an extensive library of templates for you to use, with a Facebook cover photo included, it’s best to create a custom design that can be used for both mobile and desktop devices. If your dimensions are 820 px (pixels) by 461 px, as opposed to 820 px by 312 px, then you allow yourself some extra space so that you don’t lose the important information that you want to share. Even if you’re sharing an photograph as your cover photo, it’s a good idea to also place the photo into a template so that the image appears as it should.

Keep all the important information in the center of your image

If you have a sale or important product that you want your audience to know about, then a Facebook cover page is the way to go. Make that efforts worthwhile by ensuring that the text is centred properly. If you’ve used a large enough template, then you won’t need to worry too much about cut off. But when something is front and centre, it’s most likely to grab your attention.

Change your photo periodically

With the changes in seasons and times of the year, it’s never a good idea to have a static Facebook cover photo. Social media’s main purpose is to update your audience on what is going on with your industry or business. Facebook’s cover photo is usually the first interaction your audience will have with your page. Inform your audience of any events, hashtag campaign, or sales you’re a part of. Send them well wishes throughout certain holidays. It’s a good idea to also have some evergreen cover photos. Cover photos that contain your value propositions are a great example especially when you are trying to bring newer followers to your page.

Use different Facebook cover formats

There are a number of creative ways to make the most of your Facebook cover images. Use the slideshow or video format to give your audience more opportunities to learn more about you. It’s also a nice way to show that you’re up-to-date with the way content can is commonly consumed. People love more than one photo and they love videos. So why not just give them what they want?

Facebook cover photos are another platform to showcase who you are and what’s going on with you as a business. What Facebook covers have impressed you the most? Leave a comment below!

 

 

 

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4 Ways to Plan Your Social Media Content for the 4th Quarter
October 10, 2018 In Blog No Comment

 

It’s that time of year again when the seasons change and a series of holidays are slumped together. So the question is, how do you plan your social media content? Here are a few ideas to you started.

Plan ahead

Just like your own holiday planning, you probably don’t want to be in a last minute frenzy. Thoughtful content that is planned well in advance usually results in thoughtful and positive responses from your audience. Since it’s the beginning of October, you may be thinking more in terms of fall-themed content, Thanksgiving, or Halloween. Block out some time to plan month by month so that you provide a professional and engaging image to your followers.

Consider the pain points during this time of year

What are the stresses and frustrations among your target audience during this time of year? Maybe it’s the stress that comes with getting ready for the holidays. How can your products or services alleviate those stresses? Don’t be afraid to be creative in this regard.

Include well-known holidays and lesser-known ones too

When your content is in line with certain times of the year, it’s a sign that you’re paying attention to what your audience is up to. Holidays such as Thanksgiving, Halloween, Remembrance Day, and Christmas are some popular choices of holidays to tie into your content. But what about the days are not well known? Days such as World Kindness Day (which happens on November 13th by the way) can be applied to any business or industry. You can look at Fifth Story’s editorial calendar or Hootsuite’s list of weird “holidays” to get your inspiration started.  Acknowledging these holidays will help you to positively stand out and show your audience that you’ve put some thought into creating a meaningful experience for your followers. Use your best judgement of course when you are selecting these types of holidays. Think about your messaging or the potential response that can yield from this approach. If there’s a potential for negativity, then it’s best to avoid it.

Use tactics that have worked in the past

If you’ve paid close attention to the measurable outcomes of previous content, you’ll start to notice some themes surrounding what’s working and what’s not. These are efficient insights to follow through on since there’s really no need to reinvent the wheel. Your approach could be something simple as a photos or a messaging that has worked really well with your audience. Whatever it is, any successful approach will continue to be successful for as long as you keep using it. It may be the very thing that maintains the loyalty among your followers.

 

Scheduling your social media content in advance may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Following these tips will be a great starting point to keep you motivated and focused. Best of all, when your content is planned in advance, it will leave you with more time to engage with your audience and do what you do best. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.

 

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4 Types of Negative Posts and How You Can Handle Each One
September 6, 2018 In Blog 2 Comments

 

Ah negative posts. We’ve all seen them. Do we all love them? Not so much. Do we all know how to deal with them appropriately? Also, maybe not so much. Here’s how you can handle each type of negative post.

Troll

A troll is known for deliberately posting inflammatory or irrelevant comments that can be harmful to the wider community reading those comments. It’s a good idea to monitor the post for any follow-up responses. Alternatively, the post can be deleted or hidden if there is any derogatory or vulgar language in the comment itself.

Misinformed User

Misinformed posts are those posts which contain content that is inaccurate. These posts are generally regarding news and events. It’s a good idea to jump into the conversation and provide accurate information.

Unhappy Client

While it’s unfortunate that your unhappy client is expressing their feelings on a public domain, it’s important to provide a response to the individual with a solution to the problem. The general rule is to respond twice with the second response containing a phone number or e-mail address for the user to have a private discussion with you. This is your opportunity to shine and provide superb customer service to resolve the issue

Ranter or Rager

These types of posts generally come from someone who comments with the intent to cause a debate or stir the pot. The best solution is to monitor these posts with the hope that other social media users will provide a medium to create a healthy debate. If the user continues to fuel a debate with you, then follow the suggestion mentioned in the previous point.

 

Silence or lack of action is often not the best solution, especially on a public domain such as social media. While it may be tempting to block a user or delete a negative post or comment, you’re missing out on an opportunity to rise above.

Do you have any tips for managing a negative post? Share your them in the comments below!

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7 Ideas for your Back-to-School Campaign on Social Media
August 16, 2018 In Blog No Comment

 

After reading this headline, you may be thinking “but I don’t have a back-to school social media campaign.” Well, here’s the thing. Back-to-school is relevant for almost any business or industry. As a parent or guardian, think of all the time spent in the preparation for getting kids back to school. Think about what kids want for the perfect back-to-school experience. Sometimes that preparation goes beyond school supplies and clothing. Now that we’ve got that cleared up, it’s time to give you some ideas to work with.

Segment your audience

The great thing about the back-to-school campaign is that it’s so broad. Your target audience can be divided into three main groups: kids, parents, and teachers. Choose one or more and maintain a focus on your audience. Doing so will keep your campaign cohesive and is more likely to generate positive results.

Segment the timing of your campaign

Back-to-school is generally that elephant in the room throughout the summer. Come August, the elephant’s presence is well-known to all. Decide when you want to launch your campaign and then plan accordingly. The key is to make sure you’re timely. If your campaign is launched in October, then it won’t be relevant.

Celebrate with parents

Back-to-school is a time many parents celebrate. They are no longer hearing the words “I’m bored” from their kids. Well, at least not as often. If your target audience is parents, then it’s time to get creative with the ways in which you can market your products or services. Maybe it’s something as simple as saying “Feeling stressed from back-to-school preparations? Then treat yourself to a spa treatment.” Thoughtful touches like these will be well received by your audience.

Post staff photos on social media

Similar to the way in which parents post photos of their kids on their first day of school, encourage your staff to do the same. But rather than posting photos of kids, you can post photos of your staff holding a sign saying what grade their child is going to school. People do business with people and your followers are more likely trust the people they’re doing business with if they get to know a bit about them.

Post photos of the products that are relevant for back-to-school

In doing so, you’re helping to make preparations a little bit easier. If you’re in the food industry, you can post photos of a school lunch with your product in it. School lunches are one of the biggest pain points for parents and photos such as those may help to remove some of the guess work.

Promote the idea of making the home back-to-school ready

Back-to-school is about spending more time indoors and less time outdoors. The weather gets cooler and kids tend to spend more time indoors doing homework or playing inside after school. If your industry is focused on home comfort or home renovations, then you can inform your audience on the products and services that make your home a welcoming environment when the kids come home from school. If your campaign is targeted to parents, then maybe your messaging is focused about the products and services parents have more time to take advantage of.

Ask questions

This tip applies for any social media post. Posts with questions invite the opportunity for comments. When it comes to back-to-school, make sure your question is focused on back-to-school but also relevant to your industry. Let’s say you sell books. Rather than asking a broad question such as “how do your kids get ready for back to school?” you could ask “what book will you be reading to your child as a bedtime story the night before the first day of school?”

 

What ideas have you used for your back to school messaging on social media? Leave a comment below!

 

 

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6 Types of Hashtags
August 7, 2018 In Blog No Comment

Hashtags. You see them everywhere. They’re used in many ways. Sometimes they’re used as subtext for a post or sometimes they’re used to boost overall reach. When it’s the latter case, it’s a good idea to be strategic with hashtags. Doing so will encourage audiences to either use them or better engage with your posts. Here is a description of the six types of hashtags.

Brand

Brands often use hashtags to convey a message about their brand or increase brand awareness. Brand hashtags can include the brand name or a slogan. Examples include: #TweetsFromtheSeat or #IKEAFamily. In case you didn’t know, the first example was a hashtag for Charmin toilet paper. It’s a tactic that’s somewhat cringe worthy but also clever at the same time. Toilet paper might be difficult to promote on social media, but this hashtag makes it less so. The hashtag was released by Charmin in 2016 and people still continue to use it.

Content

Content hashtags are often simple words or phrases that can be used in any context. Brands can use them to connect products with their audience. The hashtag #tiles can be applied to a multitude of contexts.

It can be used to promote a workshop.

It can also be used for travel.

Or, it can be used to express this thing you have with floors.

You get the picture. Overall, content hashtags invite flexibility and creativity.

Campaign

If you want more people to know about a specific cause or campaign, then it’s a good idea to have a hashtag associated with it. These hashtags are specific and concise so that people can easily remember them and use them when relevant. Examples include: #Ontario150 or #ShareACoke.

Location

Location hashtags bring awareness to a specific place. The name of the location is directly in the hashtag so that audiences know what specific location is being referenced. Examples include #ygk or #the6ix. Normally you would find these hashtags in association with travel and tourism. Brands have also used location hashtags to reach out to audiences from that location to inform them of their location or where their products can be found.

Trending

When you want to share your thoughts on a current event through social media, then it’s more common to share a trending hashtag that is associated with that occasion. #HumboldtStrong is one example of an trending hashtag which was attached to messages of support and solidarity.

Event

If you’re hosting an event, and you want more people to know about it through social media, then event hashtags are the way to go. They can also be used outside the realm of social media. Depending on the nature of your event, there are a number of ways you can remind guests to use your hashtag.

Event hashtags can be used before, during, and after an event. One example of this includes #RoyalWedding2018. This hashtag was used in anticipation of the event, while people were watching the event (at 4 A.M. nonetheless), and after the event to share thoughts on how magical it all was.

What is your experience with using hashtags? Leave a comment below!

 

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